Method of upholstery.



Q ZM {WWW m J. KRONHEIM.

METHOD or UPHOLSTBRY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17I 1913. 1 1 1 1,966, Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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J. KRONHEIM.

METHOD OF UPHOLSTBRY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1913.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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Swuemtoz -J. KRONHEIM.

METHOD or UPHOLSTBRY. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1913. 1 1 1 1 966 Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

JACOB KBONHEIM, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.

METHOD OF UPH OLSTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1914.

Original application filed March 15, 1913, Serial No. 754,536. Divided and this application filed Septiiiber 17, 1913. Serial No. 790,219.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB KRONHEIM, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Upholstery, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in upholstery and the method of manufacturing the same.

The object of the invention is to facilitate and cheapen the upholstering of seat hacks for vehicles by providing a simple and expeditious method of manufacture, the invention consisting in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a mold member embodying features of the invention; Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the same; Fig. Sis a plan view similar to Fig. 1 showing upholstery and members or forms in operative position; Fig. 4 is a transverse section through Fig. 3 showing the mold within a suitable press; Fig. 5 is an end elevation of a suitable forming table and press with the mold in operative position thereon; Fig. 6 is a plan View of Fig. 5 with parts removed; Fig. 7 is'a perspective detail of a finishing strip; Fig. 8 is a detail illustrating the manner of securing the upholstery to the vehicle body; Fig. 9 is a perspective detail illustrating the manner of securing the lower edge of the upholstery to the body seat; Fig. 10 is a vertical section through a vehicle seat showing the manner of securing the upholstery in place thereon; Fig. 11 is a perspective View showing a receiving frame for holding the formed upholstery while the same is being re-formed and adjusted before its application to the vehicle seat; and Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of a modified construotion of clamping means for the molds.

The subject matter of this application was divided out from an application filed Mar. 15, 1913, Serial No. 754,586.

Heretofore it has been the common practice in upholstering seat backs, to form a tufted strip of the proper size and shape, by placing the leather, padding and lining upon a plain fiat form which is provide with means for holding the upholstery buttons with their securing means in position to pierce the material when placed thereon. The strip thus formed is then placed in pos1t1on upon the vehicle seat back and secured 1n place, the upper edge or roll being formed in place upon the back and made fast thereto as it is formed. Care and skill are-required to properly stretch and form the strip to place upon the back and the op eration of securing the edges in place is very difiicult and slow.

In order to more accurately form the tufted strip to the curve of the seat arm, and to facilitate the securing of the strip in place, said strip has been molded previous to its application to the seatback, but it was still necessary to use great skill and care in forming the edge roll of the upholstery in place.

The method embodied in this invention consists in tufting a strip of upholstery in the fiat and at the same time forming thereon an upper edge roll and properly folding and forming the lower edge and securing the same to suitable securing strips. The strip of upholstery is then bent or formed, and at the same time held against distortion, back and arms, and a properly formed finishing strip is made fast to the edge of" said roll. The upholstery thus formed and held is then ready to be set in place upon a vehicle seat and made fast thereto by securing the securing strips to the seat bottom and the finishing strip to the upper edge of the back, said finishing strip taking the place of the finishing strip usually provided upon the vehicle seat back. As illustrating suitable means for carrying out the method ofupholstering seat backs embodied in this invention, devices are shown in the accompanying drawings, adapted for use in manufacturing by said method upholstery embodying the invention, but it will be understood that other means may be employed to carry out said method or changes made in the construction or arrangement of parts. In practising the invention, a mold block 1 is provided comprising a central straight section and end sections 2 connected thereto by hinges 3, said sections bein formed with arib 4 along one edge, w 'ch rib has in cross-secto conform to the curve of the seat tion a curved side, and in plan View, an -outline which is substantially'the same as the outline of the strip of leather which is cut' of the pro er size and shape to form the facing 5 0 the upholstery and of the strip 6 wh1ch forms the backin therefor. Distributed over the face of t mold sections are holders 7 in which are placed uphol-z story buttons 8 with their shanks 9 extend- To so pressthe material down upon the button shanks and form it against the curved side of the rib 4:, a board 11 is provided to on age, thebody portion of the upholstery, and; edge or margin strips 12 which are formed to conform to the rib, are provided to press the material down upon the curved said board When the upholstery has been properly -pere formingside pf the rib to give to that portion of the tufted strip which forms the upe of the upholstery the 'proper rounds form with -t e edge of the facing laid in proper folds, as shown at 13 in Fig. 3a The board 11 is formed with a series of holes to receive the points of the button shanks when the board is forced down by a suitable. press comprisinga hand operated screw 14 (see F 4). The stri s 12 are pressed toward e mold simu taneously with the boardby providing arms 15 on extending over sa d strips.

formed in the mold by the press, in an 'extended or flat position and the button shanks have been clenched down upon the backing to hold the tufting, the end edges of the facing and backing are stretched, orme over and made fast to end fastening strips by tacks or other suitable means, thebottom e es of said facing and bacliing are also stretched,- formed around, laid .in plaits and then tacked or otherwise secured to bottom securing stri s 17 extending along the back portion oft e upholstery and strips 18 alon the lower edges of the arm portions. The 11 holstery is thus formed up in the flat wit its edges finished and edge roll formed for application to the vehicle seat. I

In order that the fiat strip of upholstery thus formed ma be quickly and easily applied to a vehic e seat and when so applied will have the proper curve to fit the curve of the seat, the said mold block-leis made of a plurality of hinge connected parts as described, so that the end sections 2 upon which the arm portions of the upholstery are formed, may be turned downward to form. said portionsaround into a shape a proximating that of the vehicle seat bad k bar 21 extending horizontally over 1}? t ble and arms. To so turn and hold the end portions of the mold and form the upholstery down thereon, at the same time holding the rolled or formed ed e portion of the u olstery against distortion, a suitable forming table 19, shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is provided to support the mo d when to moved from the press shown in Fig. 4, and this table is provided with vertical standards 20 at one edge for supporting a crossat a distance above the same. 111 carries a hand screw 22 provided with a foot at its lower end to engage the center margin stri 1 2 and hold is e formed edge of the upho story firmly against the curved portion of the center section of the mold so that it can not bfe "distorted when the end or arm portions of the upholster are folded downward atv each side of the ta le '19 upon the end sections 2 of the mold which are turned downward against stops 23 on the sides of the table. Swingin bars 24 pivotally attached to the ends of t e cross bar 21, are adapted to be swun into engagement with the end sections 0 the margin stri s 12 and press said sections firmly against t e arm portions of the upholstery along the formed edges thereof to hold said arm portions in place and prevent distortion of the formed edge of the upholster These bars 24 are swung toward each 0t er and firml held by means of a rod 2Q assing through said bars and provided with a hand wheel 26 on a screwthreaded end of the rod 'engagement with the outer side of one "0 said are. a

After bein formed and clamped in position upon the table 19 a finishing strip 27 shown in Fi 7, is laced just inside the formed up e es 13 o the facin' andbaclring and said edges tacked or ot erwis'e secured thereto, as shown in Fig. 6. Thisiinish'ing strip is made to '11st fit the outer face of the vehicle seat bacl; and arms adf acen't to the upper edge. thereof, conforming to the curve of said ed e in each direction and taking the place 0 a like strip which is commonly secured to said ed" e "by the body maker when the vehicle be y is manufactured.

After the finishing strip has been secured to the edge of the 'orm'ed. upholstery, said u hol'stery with said strip upon itsupper ecge and the securing strips 1 and 18 on its lower edge, is removed from the ta le, the finishi-n strip holding the upholstery in its curve shape, and maybe at once applied to a vehicle seat by setting it in place thereon with the finishin strip against the outer side of the upper e ge of the back and arm portions. The upholstery may then be readily secured in place upon the seat back and arms by nailin or otherwise securing said finishing strip said edge and the securing strips 17 and 18 may be nailed to the seat frame or preferably, they are provided with ears 28 formed from sheet metal and provided with openings to receive screws for screwing them to the seat frame, said ears projecting forwardly from said strips beneath the lower edge of the leather of the upholstering so that they may be readily secured in place. When the vehicle seat body is provided with an arm 29 for the attachment of a vehicle ,top, as shown in Fig. 8, the strip 27 will be cut in two opposite said arm so that the strip may be placed over the edge of the body.

Should it -be desirable to re-arrange the padding or filling of the edge roll or tufts of the upholstery after it has been formed up as described and removed from the table 19, it may beplaced in and secured to an open frame 30.,which has. a form substantially the same as that of the vehicle seat back and arms. While the upholstery is accurately and firmly held in this frame 30, the workmen may conveniently get at the back side of the upholstery through theframe and with a suitable tool may re-arrange the filling to give a smooth even tuftmg.

By the method described, upholstery may be made up independently of the vehicle body or seatin such a way that it may be very quickly and accurately secured in place by any workman of ordinary skill andthe upholstery itself may be made and formed by unskilled labor with the use of the device described and by following the method set forth. By making the u holstery in the flat so that the tufts may e accurately formed and the folds in the leather accurately made, the work is greatly facilitated and a high grade of work turned out without the necessity for employing skilled u holsterers. The finishing strip 27 not on y serves as a member to which the edge of the upholstery is secured after the same has been properly" formed to hold it in place,

i but also holdsthe body of the upholstery in shape for ready application to the seat.

A modification of the clamping means shown in Fig. 5 is shown in Fig. l2,'the screw shaft 22 being provided with a drum 31 on its lower end upon which cables 32 are wound when the hand wheel or the shaft is turned to run the screw down and bring the foot thereon into contact with the center margin strip 12. The 0 posite ends of said cables are attached to t e bars 24 and thus when the shaft is turned and the cables wound upon the drum, said bars will be swung inward into contact with the end strip 12 and clamp the arm portions of the upholstery. The drum and cables are substituted for the rod 25 and hand wheel 26, and operate to swing the bars 24 simultaneously with the turning of the screw.

Obviously changes 'may be made in the apparatus for carrying out the method described and changes may also be made in the construction of the upholstery, without departing from the spirit of my invention and I do not therefore limit myself to the construction or arrangement of parts or forms shown.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is 1. The method of forming upholstery which consists in placing material 1n a mold and pressing the same therein to form tufts, then holding the central portion of the material against distortion and bending the ends, and then securing a strip to the formed material.

2. The method of forming upholstery which consists in first placing material to form a stri of upholstery within a mold in an exten ed fiat osition and pre'ssin it therein to form tuf fs and a rounded e ge portion, folding and securing the edges of the molded strip, and then holding the formed edge portion against distortion and bending and shaping the molded upholster strip to conform to the curve of the bac and arms of a seat.

3. The method of forming upholstery which consists in first placing material to form an upholstery strip within a mold in an extended flat position and pressing it therein to form a rolled-up edge portion and tufts, then holding the rolled edge portion against distortion and bending the ends of the molded strip to conform to the curving of the back and arm portions of a seat, then removing the molded upholstery strip from the mold and placing it within an open supporting frame to hold it in formed position and re-arranging the material while the upholstery strip is so held.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB KRONHEIM.

Witnesses Ono F. BARTHEL, ANNA M. Donn. 

